Lily pond in Glasshouse - Kew Gardens

GARDENING CLUB – JULY/AUGUST 2009 NEWSLETTER

Attention to detail this month will yield dividends in terms of extra flowers, fruits and crops well in to autumn. Get a second flush of roses in late summer and in to autumn with some timely deadheading. Snip off the dead flowerheads of dahlias and other bedding plants to encourage a succession of further blooms. French and runner beans will continue climbing and cropping provided you keep picking and watering them regularly. How could anyone possibly consider going on holiday this month there is so much to do.(See Jobs to Do this Month pages 4/5).

A fortnight ago was our weekend trip to Kew Palace & Gardens and RHS Wisley as well as a trip in to central London on the Friday night for West End Shows and restaurants. On the Saturday we visited Kew Palace & Gardens which is celebrating its 250th year this year and we were welcomed at the Palace by Harvey Murray-Smith, Deputy House Manager for Kew Palace & Queen Charlotte’s Cottage. Harvey gave us an introductory talk on the steps of the Palace on the history and background of both the Palace and the Gardens. The Palace gave us a glimpse of royal history as we went on a tour of the house at our own pace. Visiting the Palace set the scene for the rest of the day when we tried to cover the whole of the Kew site. The Kew Explorer train helped enormously with this and provided a hop on and off service at any of the eight stops around the Gardens. Particular attractions at Kew were the Palm House, Princess of Wales Conservatory, Temperate House and the Treetop Walkway. Sunday we visited RHS Wisley which is absolutely stunning and provided a spectacular array of colour at the time of our visit and demonstrates gardening on a large scale. In contrast the Glasshouse Borders contain lower-maintenance, prairie-style planting as you approach the entrance. Now in its second year inside the Glasshouse there is a series of computer-controlled environments creating desert, rainforest and tropical conditions for its collection of around the world plants. RHS Wisley has lots of water with its many lakes and ponds two of which were amassed with Koi and Carp and some of us were amazed when feeding the ducks and waterhen to see the fish come out of the water and up the pebbles on the shoreline to get their share of the pickings and then panicking to get back in the water! (See photograph below). Some members took the opportunity to meet with former colleague John Millen and his wife Jean who moved from the North East down to Brooklands a few years ago but now retired and who live very close to Wisley. John was of course Vice President of CBD for a number of years before his retirement and didn’t look a day older!.Below are some photographs from our weekend:

P&G Group – Kew Palace Peter & Vera Draper-Glasshouse–Kew Lily Pond in Glasshouse-Kew Gardens Palm House – Kew Gardens

RHS Wisley Glasshouse – RHS Wisley Fish on shoreline RHS Wisley Jo & Tony Hope – RHS Wisley

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GARDEN COTTAGE BOLAM & WHALTON MANOR TRIP – JUNE 13Weather couldn’t have been better for this trip. A beautiful summer day visiting two fabulous gardens. Here are some photographs:

P&G Group Garden Cottage Bolam Dry river bed, Garden Cottage Whalton Manor Ann Wood – Whalton Manor

P&G Gardening Events – AugustDurham Botanic Garden & Crook Hall & Gardens – Sunday, August 23 rd (Places still available) A local day trip to Durham where we will visit Crook Hall & Gardens and Durham University Botanic Garden with the option of free time in Durham City Centre. Members: £16 Non-Members: £22 (Includes entry in to Durham Botanic Garden & Crook Hall & Gardens)

In-House Event January 2010 – Talk/presentation – I am looking for an organisation/presenter for this event so would really welcome your ideas.

May 21/22/23/24 2010 - Sandringham House/Gardens & Gardens/Waterways of Norfolk & Cambridgeshire - Special Weekend Trip – The last one of my tenure as Gardening Section Leader – details coming soon

Allotment NewsOwning an allotment is a fast growing trend in our area and we have a few members who are having great success with their allotments. Firstly, Liz & Michael Smith (Associates) have been judged best full plot with glass in the Gosforth area and are being put forward for the City final. Liz & Michael got quite a shock when they got the phone call and thought it was a joke but they really enjoy their allotment and spend a lot of time there and are now reaping the rewards of their labour with excellent crops of vegetables and fruit. Congratulations Liz & Michael and best of luck for the City final.

Then we have Mike & Elaine Bramley (Associates)who in their first year of owning an allotment have an abundance of broad beans, french beans, early pots,, courgettes, tomatoes, peas, lettuce, carrots, cabbage, and just this week 12 caulis now in freezer. Starting to lift red onions. Parsnips & beetroot doing OK but it looks like celariac has the root fly. Pumpkins are doing well, outside plum toms doing great, pot leeks coming on, started off swiss chard & more French beans. Greenhouse full of sweet peppers, broccoli, more caulis, Brussels doing well, have built netting covers for brassicas which has kept pigeons and cabbage whites off crops and its worked a treat. Also have a few flowers, Cosmos & Sunflowers & French Marigolds (planted in greenhouse and among toms).The 2 sheds, paving & greenhouse cost a total of 1 bottle of wine, roofing felt, 200 screws & £10 for carriage for the larger shed. Mike has turned into a rag & bone man and is recycling everything. He plans to build a chicken coup during next winter and put in soft fruit, plus fruit trees, then build a fruit cage & polytunnel (will grow grapes), plus plumbing in a tap on his plot. Mike and Elaine have been giving potatoes, caulis, broad beans, french beans & onions to their family as well as still freezing stuff. Elaine does all the sowing and has green fingers and Mike is just the labourer. Here are some pictures from when Mike & Elaine first acquired the allotment to the most recent including his first crops on July 12th.

As it was in the beginning Tatties & onions after Brassicas with butterfly deterent 1st crops on 12 July with lots of weeds lots of weeding background tomatoes

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Anyone else got any allotment news for next Newsletter? What’s On at Other Venues in late July/August

INSPIRATION GARDEN TOURS – JULY/AUGUST PROMOTION – Places still availableRHS Harlow Carr & Gardens of Yorkshire – Thursday, August 13 – Now £29.75 (includes entry in to all gardens) Visiting three very contrasting gardens – RHS Harlow Carr, near Harrogate, Yorke Gate Garden in the suburb of Adel on the northern Outskirts of Leeds and lastly to The Ranch House, Near Pudsey, a private 2-acre garden. Visit www.inspirationgardentours.co.uk for more details or Tel. 01434-681588

Holker & Levens Halls & Gardens & Gardens of Lakeland – August 29/30 – Now only £131.75 – Massive saving of £46.50 per couple on original price (Includes Dinner B&B and Levens & Holker Hall house tours and admission in to all 5 gardensWe visit Holker & Levens Halls/Gardens (to include a house tour), Holehird Gardens, Windermere (Home of the Lakeland Horticultural Society), Yewbarrow House, a private garden with aspect over Morecambe Bay above Grange-over-Sands and Cath’s Garden Plants & Nursery.Visit www.inspirationgardentours.co.uk for more details or Tel. 01434-681588

SATURDAY, JULY 25 TH – 10.30 -5.00 pm - GARDEN SAFARI – Visiting the Gardens of Allendale & Catton – Tickets, Maps, Homemade Teas and Plant and Book Stalls in the Church Hall Allendale.Tickets £3.50/Children Free – In aid of St. Cuthbert’s Church.

WEDNESDAY, 29 th JULY 10.30-12.30 pm – A BUZZ ABOUT WALLINGTON – Spend the afternoon in the back garden at Wallington – Discover the weird and wonderful world of bees through themed games and activities. Children must be accompanied Dress for mess! Normal admission charges apply + £2 per child. Bookable through the Estate Office. Tel. 01670-773600

LINDISFARNE CASTLE – CHILDRENS QUIZZES & TRAILS – Various dates – Visit http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-vh/w-visits/w-events/w-events-find_event.htm?c=1 for dates late July through August - Lindisfarne Castle Office, 01289 389244, lindisfarne@nationaltrust.org.ukCome to the Holy Island of Lindisfarne and try your hand at the quizzes and trails in Lindisfarne Castle. But remember to contact the Castle for advice on the tides first as the island is cut off from the mainland twice a day when the tide comes in. You might be lucky and see the seals on the sandbanks, fulmars flying around the castle or even an owl hunting. There are always plenty of sheep and lambs in the Castle field and loads of bugs etc. in the Gertrude Jekyll garden. Booking not needed. Children welcome. Stout footwear and outdoor clothing.

CRAGSIDE, ROTHBURY – SPOT THE ANIMAL – Various dates – Visit http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-vh/w-visits/w-events/w-events-find_event.htm?c=1 for dates late July through August – Cragside 01669-620333 Ext. 7 pam.dryden@nationaltrust.org.uk Two self-guided trails. One in the Valley Garden and the other in the Formal Garden. Can you find the hidden animals? Normal admission charges apply. Booking not needed. Children welcome. Self-guided trail leaflets available from the Visitor Centre, Information Centre and Garden Gazebo.

NGS OPEN GARDENS - AugustThursday, August 6 – 1.30 – 5.00 30 pm - Herterton House, Hartington, Nr. Cambo – Mr. Frank Lawley – Tel. 01670-774278 Admission £3/Child Free – 12 miles west of Morpeth, 23 miles NW of Newcastle, 2 miles N of Cambo on the B6342 signed to Hartington – Brown signs.- 1 acre of formal garden in stone walls around 16th century farmhouse (not open). Incl. small topiary garden, physic garden, flower garden, fancy garden, gazebo and nursery garden. Featured in ‘Times Magazine’, ‘Financial Times’ & ‘Amateur Gardening’.

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B RITISH RED CROSS OPEN GARDENS – August Saturday, August 29 – 12.00 noon – 3.00 pm Scotswood Natural Community College Garden, John Marley Centre, Whickham View, Scotswood, Newcastle upon Tyne,NE15 6TT-Adults: £1/Children 50pSignposted from Western Bypass, from the West Road Whickham View is off Denton Road. The John Marley Centre is marked. Park in the car park. Go through reception. Garden at rearThis open garden is a wildlife wonderland and an oasis of green in the suburbs of the city. It has a unique combination of small-scale crops, fruit and vegetables and habitat creation.The garden features a solar fountain amid the ornamental flowers. There will also be demonstrations of organic and sustainable ways of gardening. There is also a stall, tombola and extra attractions for younger children.

JOBS TO DO IN THE GARDEN THIS MONTH - AT A GLANCEGeneral garden tasks

• Water and feed plants frequently, particularly those in containers outdoors, greenhouse pot plants and the veg patch, as well as any shrubs or perennials planted this summer.• Weed borders regularly• Deadhead annuals, roses and other flowering plants and cut back perennials after flowering.

LawnMow regularly but don’t water or feedTrees, Shrubs & Climbers• Water Camelias to promote the development of lots of flower buds Prune hedges and topiaryTrim pyracanthaWhen the flowers are over clip dwarf hedges of lavender, rosemary and santolinaClip beech, hornbeam, Leylandi or thuja hedges late this month or early next month

• Prune rambling roses after they have flowered• Prune wisteria – shorten any long, whippy sideshoots to about 20 cm or six leaves from their base. This will encourage the buds at the base of these stems to produce flowering spurs which in turn will carry trailing blooms in the future.

Flowers• Cut and dry everlasting flowers• Deadhead roses promptly• Save seed from rock plants, trees, shrubs, hardy annual flowers, perennials and bulbs• Pot up self-sown seedlings• Plant autumn flowering bulbs• Divide bearded irises• Take cuttings of alpines• Clip lavenders after flowering to keep compact• Cut back hardy geraniums to encourage a new flush of growth.

Patios & Containers• Keep on top of watering, feeding and deadheading containers, which is needed more than ever this month.

Vegetables & Herbs• Harvest French and runner beans, lettuce, beetroot, turnips, courgettes, onions, marrows, summer squashes, second early potatoes, the first outdoor tomatoes and globe artichokes• Sow early carrots, peas, turnips, lettuce, baby spinach leaves, spring cabbages• ‘Stop’ outdoor tomatoes• Cut and dry or freeze herbs• Take cuttings from herbs

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Fruit• For bumper crops of apples, pears and plums next year, now’s the time to get snipping with those secateurs. Summer pruning helps promote the production of fruiting spurs along the entire length of the branch. • Prune gooseberries, redcurrant and blackcurrant bushes and summer fruit raspberry canes now that all the fruit has been picked• Cut strawberry runners from the parent plant

Under CoverVentilate the greenhouse and damp down regularly in hot weather.

• Take softwood cuttings of pelargoniums, fuchias and other frost tender plants to overwinter late this month• Sow winter and spring flowering pot plants for the greenhouse or conservatory• Plant specially prepared bulbs such as hyacinths, for forcing, if you want them to flower in time for Christmas• Increase feeding of tomatoes, continue pinching out sideshoots and remove lower leaves that turn yellow.• Harvest greenhouse tomatoes, peppers, aubergines, cucumbers and melons

Water Garden• Clear out yellowed or decomposing water lily leaves from the pond, thin out excess older leaves if the plants are overgrown and covering the pond completely.

Thin out excess oxygenating waterweedsTop up water levels if necessary.

This is not a month to be going on holiday!

Please let me have any items for September Newsletter by Thursday, July 31st.

Regards,

Doreen

(pggardening@btinternet.com)

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